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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · scale · straw · can · cue · wax · degree · pop

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. scale — in music
  7. can — a tin
  8. wax — to grow
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pop — soda
  11. cue — a signal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. degree — an amount
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pop — music
  20. chip — to eat
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cue — a hint

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com